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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23202682">Which King</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/blankdblank/pseuds/blankdblank'>blankdblank</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Hobbit - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adopted sons, Death of the King, Enemies to Friends, Eventual Romance, Long live the Queen, Lost Child, POV Second Person, Post-War, Rebuilding Middle Earth, Rebuilding Mordor, War, trial</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 08:00:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,844</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23202682</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/blankdblank/pseuds/blankdblank</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An unknown heir to a dying King is found and with her comes the death of an unnecessary war. Proven to be an ally of her people offers of peace are granted and whispers of her efforts and self sacrifice to help fill the bellies of her people cushion the impressions others have over her. One Lord in particular seems quite determined to find her out for himself.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a possible series. Please let me know what you think of it and if you might be interested in reading more. :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“6374 counts of treason, 5674 counts of sabotage and over 3000 of our own craft and Nazgul drones and bombers brought down by your hands and that of your squadron Colonel Pear. There is nothing you could possibly say to your defense to encourage leniency, however we are mandated to ask if you would wish to make a statement on your own behalf.”</em>
</p><p>Stoically you sat listening to the hours of this useless trial now at its end in the row in front of your equally as stoic squadron’s 20 officers in charge of distributing and enforcing your orders to the 10,000 Elves under your command who had been sabotaging each and every attack Maiar King Annatar had been waging on Valinor and now beginning in Middle Earth. Each and every city had been warned and the night before the attacks whenever possible you snuck out early and emptied as many as would flee to find shelter with written instructions of safe routes under your squadron’s patrols with safe houses and hidden bunkers along the way to allied territories until eyes were turned away and they could return to the charred, and if you were the ones to bomb them, merely spot covered kingdoms in need of some dirt to fill the craters left on their edges.</p><p>It had taken an age to gain the respect and title you had earned and when this fruitless war was called on innocents with no rhyme or reason behind it you sought to bring it down yourself however possible. And now you sat in front of the Councilman reluctantly following his own orders once another squadron leader had noticed your blatant lie that the city of Numenor had been bombed while your own carriers were emptying it to Gondor. He refused to kill the fleeing masses himself but he razed the island to cinders and blew the whistle fearing what would happen if he didn’t, far too many witnesses to play the fool.</p><p>
  <em>“Councilman, I have no defense past a request of my own.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“This should be good, What is your request Colonel?”</em>
</p><p><em>“I wish to submit myself for genetic testing for a bone marrow match for King Annatar before I am put to death.”</em> His brow inched up as did those on everyone now in the room both behind you and on the pair of witnessing Corporals acting as jury for both those presenting the case and your squadron to exact swift and neutral justice on your case.</p><p>.</p><p>Shielded shackles shifted around your skin under the sleeves of your sweater with charged electric belt around your middle to enforce your proximity to the guard guiding you from your assigned van to the Hospital door. Your uniform was not allowed while you were on trial and you were forbidden to name yourself to your true rank. The frigid building meant to handle the King’s medical needs and those of the Nobles dwelling in Mordor as well opened for you and your face should have been well known, had the military not hushed up your actions to keep from supporters sprouting up.</p><p>Though the more they dug it wasn’t just your elite squadron to have been breaking their orders, more and more since you had started had been making a farce all their own to save whom they could stunning the world outside now coated in smoke and ash that the soldiers of Mordor weren’t heartless as their King. A glimmer of hope while they tried to balance their shifted kin and those housing them in the remaining kingdoms now ripe with forces to aid on defense by your actions.</p><p>Everyone was kind, curious but kind as to why a guard was sent with the stoic young Elleth in the sea of well known Nobles and the best medical staff in all of Mordor. Everyone knew the King was dying, everyone knew he needed plasma and bone marrow and had five failed transplants so far to counteract the poisons he had ingested by the assassination attempt that had killed his latest consort, mother to his publicly claimed, though still openly bastard, sons. Thousands had been tested and none had been matches enough with the procedure too deadly to kill the twin boys barely out of infancy you seemed to be the latest volunteer and the most curious.</p><p>It wasn’t until your trial you had removed your standard regulated issue of black contacts and had unwoven the black and red fake fireproof strands in the woven wax topped coating your head disguising your white gold shimmering curls and silver flecked purple eyes. The face was so familiar from the front five Nobles had hit the same column staring at you once they had realized it. Queen Morko, the first wife of King Annatar, disposed of when his arranged union was discovered dissolvable to break ties with Vanyar, one of the first lands he tried to wage war on. He won in his annulment being kept in the dark on his lawful heir by his own council and since then trying to find time when not ordering murders to have a son to sate his council on the matter of heirs.</p><p>Sharply the needle jammed into your hip and you bit back your groan reminding yourself this was possibly a way to save the men you had ordered to break the order of the King. Had they been following the orders of the Crown Princess they could be absolved of all blame, which would all fall to you then and they would be restored fully to their well deserved stations while your head fell alone. The hotel across the street would be where you were sent under heavy guard while awaiting the results and with arms crossed behind your back laying on the first bed you had slept on in over seven centuries a smirk ghosted across your lips hearing the guards learning through the walls that you were the King’s child.</p><p>Within the hour you were showered and changed into more suitable clothes having been brought to you and loaded up minus the shackles to be taken to the Palace. There was a mandatory 24 hour wait to prep for the procedure and first thing at the crack of dawn the King was set for his latest transplant.</p><p>It was almost comical how friendly and instantly the King’s right hand had moved to bring you close to him. A full tour of the now bustling Palace readying to house you as well was filled with wide eyed stares and gasps held in until you were in front of the fiery haired golden eyed King whose face fell in your entrance into the Royal Sitting Room. Up to the carpet, as you were told, you approached then dropped into a deep curtsy, <em>“Your Majesty.”</em></p><p>Inching up in his seat he asked, <em>“Morko did not inform me we had conceived.”</em></p><p>His eyes taking in each detail of your face in the tick of your brow and slight tilt of your head, <em>“Then who’s been sending me birthday cards?”</em></p><p>That had his eyes darkening and brows furrow as you produced from your bags that had been brought from the hotel the box holding cards with simple notes and the forged signature of the King. Each one more infuriating than the last to him making him ask, <em>“Since I seem to have been kept in the dark about my heir’s life what have you made of yourself?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“I am a Colonel in the Wraith Ring. One of your Nine, heading Angmar’s territories.”</em>
</p><p><em>“Ah,”</em> he inched up with a prideful grin, “<em>You mastered the Witch King interface then?”</em></p><p><em>“I wrote it.” </em>Deepening his grin even more. <em>“Though I seem to have scuffed some elbows and technically am without title and my squadron is on line for guillotine. Donation was my last request.”</em></p><p>Sternly he stated, <em>“I will not lose my best and most loyal,”</em> the guard’s brow inched up only to drop hearing, <em>“You are cleared of all charges as are your men. Any and all duties you formerly bore shall be bound to another while you will learn the ins and out of running our Kingdom. You are my heir, already our forces will honor your orders and now we will get my council behind you as well once I uncover just who has hidden you from me.”</em></p><p>By morning word had exploded through the kingdom and all territories Annatar ruled over, mainly the Dwarf Kingdoms of Moria and those of the Eastern Territories. The King had an heir conceived when the union was legal and born the day before it was dissolved fully. Should the transplant not cure him, in the time bought there was one to continue his reign, but through his enemies the rank and stated previously used protective surname had heads turning and hushed whispers spreading with hope that the Princess and Colonel Pear were one and the same.</p><p>.</p><p>A painful month came not just with the procedure but with the corseted gowns and constricting hairstyles you were forced into each day. Baths even were far from private moments, with you being dressed, fed and measured for new clothes each week to ensure the finest was worn, not even mentioning the weighty jewels and crown you were publicly donning it nearly had your skin crawling knowing how hungry your people were just outside these Palace gates. A full parade and the passing of Nauglamir now with all three Silmarils dangling from the front to go with your shimmering crown and gown looking like the living embodiment of snow, same as your mother on her wedding day.</p><p>Expectations however were made at the safety of your half brothers. A longstanding tradition of your clan being when one rose to power all other heirs were culled. Only with your squadron looking on as you followed the carriage carrying your father’s coffin an order to have the pair taken away never came, and the crying confused toddlers were taken from their nannies, now with baited breath who exhaled with all others at your carrying them and refusal to release them for hours. All through the sermon, burial and back again to your Palace you had gone. Five gunshots were heard and by morning the cremated remains of those most dangerous on the council were culled taking out the last of the council who had first agreed to the war.</p><p>Those you trusted were put in their places, those you had served with, and by noon invitations were sent out for the Dwarf Lords along with the Kings of Gondor and Rohan. Envoys were sent to the Elven territories bearing your seal, one with a pear in marigold wax, one you hoped might keep them from burning it straight off.</p><p>Out of the Kingdom the shadows were cast, the orc bots you had dismantled and melted down emptying the Palace of your forced shadows greatly easing your days. Those lingering on staff stood in fear at first at your first morning as Queen until they spotted you exiting your apartment suite in jeans and a sweater with bright fuzzy socks and comfy moccasin slippers. The crown was necessary for the rank but through your private breakfast and assuring the twins were well fed and their supplies were fully stocked for the day you got to work.</p><p>Into your office you went to start on the first item on your lists, all through the Kingdoms any advancing forces were already flying home, and now you were delving through the finances seeing what else you could cut. In the month of living in this palace with your father you had enough gems and gowns to last you a year for public events so that was an easy cut to ship in the ‘best’ materials and gems to be adorning you. Already that was thousands to shift into productions of food and repairs to housing and living conditions. Hours you slaved through each and every document ticking each and every expenditure of the economy you had a huge part in trashing by destroying so much of the machinery the King no doubt had ordered replaced.</p><p>War however was the biggest cut and by Friday the Kings had arrived to greet you formally. The Dwarf Kings all but collapsed as you stated you were releasing your father’s claims over their lands. Instead offering trade deals to continue your alliance on equal footing with a new set of deals to build trust with Rohan and Gondor, the Kings for which heartily agreed at your stating your bond of peace and ceasefire to the Elven Kingdoms. Your words echoing in their ears, “I hear great things of your lands, kingdoms and people. I hope one day to visit and see them for myself, as friends.”</p><p>It was a bucket of cold water to the world how simple it seemed. Even your own people did not know what to think of you at taking such ease in dismantling everything your father had built and taken as his own. But none fully understood past the soldiers returning who praised your deeds and efforts to their kin and returned ready to aid in the repairs to the slipping Kingdoms. Angmar was fit as a fiddle under your centuries of watch with your finest in charge there in your absence, Cirith Ungul was a close second leaving Mordor, the capitol the sore thumb in the bunch. Failing health had done nothing to encourage the King to mend anything right in front of him and this was where you would start.</p><p>With a Council fully behind you and Silmarils sent off to their true owners and troops drawn back on both sides along with a trading of prisoners all terms of the ceasefire had been honored. And for once your lands had seemed to fall into silence for the rest of the world. All of them timid and cautious not to poke the hornets nest again skirting just beyond the borders when necessary and never looking fully on into the lands once decorated with flaming eyes now traded for pears. That was your extravagance, a simple job to distract right now, each and every flaming eye covered with new banners to hang on the streetlamps.</p><p>But day by day eyes had turned to the reclusive Queen as whispers spread. Revenge had been taken, every monument to him once planned now for something new whenever the thought came to you. Ages you had fought and scrambled for safety and now in this silent Palace filled with nothing but expectations and open palms over the cries of the hungry and those in need, you never felt so afraid as when you had claimed your birthright. One truth you held to was the one that echoed through the soldiers under your command, <em>you never signed up to kill babies</em>. It was simple, you needed funds and a roof over your head when your mother had died and with a war being called for you found your place to go. Straight ahead never looking back and becoming the greatest asset to the rise and eventual downfall of the King. Day by day confidence grew at the pantries, number of repairs and services restored did.</p><p>.</p><p>Praise had come and with a looming date on the horizon a stunning silence from the Palace, while the boys slept through their nap you yourself had put them down for, shifting papers were taken as a plan to celebrate. It wasn’t a day to be missed out on, every kingdom had one, Name Day for their Ruling Family celebrated by all. Expectations however had bubbled and sank as once again through a score of meetings you sat hashing through more pathetic laws to be changed and had secured plans to travel to Rivendell to celebrate the birth of their young Princess, the first of your travels to supposedly enemy territory after your truce. The plans they had all hoped to hear of were for the celebration of your own birth, in true fashion no Noble could fashion a gift until you had openly begun planning it and with a week left there would be little to no time to find anything suitable.</p><p>Weeks you had slaved and in your usual fashion once again off the cold floor your cheek rose at the clunk of a bucket, a sharp inhale from you startled the young lady sent to clean your chimney in your study who dropped to a low curtsy. In her try to pretend she didn’t just find the Queen across the floor in a circle of notes in the cusp of a harsh biting winter storm set she stated, <em>“My apologies, Your Majesty.”</em></p><p>Onto your feet you climbed brushing your curls back from your face furrowing your brows in a focusing squint at the clock, <em>“No, no need for that.” </em>To her again you looked and her eyes dropped from catching your glowing pair used to being shouted at by the King for doing so, <em>“Tillie, right?”</em></p><p>Peering up at you she nodded her head with wide eyes wondering how you knew her name, <em>“Yes, Ma’am.”</em></p><p>With a nod you said, <em>“It seems I should leave you to your work, and try to rest before continuing mine. Just,”</em> you sighed motioning a hand over the papers on the floor, <em>“Don’t bother with this, I’ll deal with it later.” </em>Out of the room you strolled and grumbled stretching your arms over your head lifting your baggy sweater a bit exposing the top of the logo on your cut off sweats matching the one on your tall fuzzy socks.</p><p>Into another curtsy she dropped stating, <em>“Good night, Your Majesty.”</em> Timidly shifting on her feet ensuring you had turned down the hall and out of her sight before anxiously turning back.</p><p>Whispers, steady and murmured was proof of their growing hope for how deeply you cared for your people. Each night found on one floor or chair in room after room. Dropping into sudden naps between meetings or simple meals urging the kitchen staff to add more hearty items to the menu to ensure you had enough to fuel you. All frivolity taken away and down to bare bones you had stripped the Majesty from the Palace, only in their eyes were you Queen glowing radiantly when you sat in meetings or burned at both ends through the night exhausting all you could to ensure the comfort of others. You knew pain and with no one to call your own and guide you to bed at night all they could do was wait and watch for you to ask for help or a break.</p><p>Still, every Sunday there was no meeting, no expected trip through the Kingdom to check on repairs yourself often ending with your pitching in and then returning home to play with the boys and see to their care until bed yourself as the rest of the week went. No, Sunday was the most unnerving of all as you wouldn’t even leave your rooms, and stolen glimpses from window washers by accident confirmed the silence was from your sleeping most of the day through. The break was well needed and not without use as you were often glowing more than usual on Monday through whatever was lined up for the day. But Sunday from to Tuesday whispers had grown and entering your dining room the boys were carried into you kissed them both and sat down helping to feed them while waiting on your own meal.</p><p>There should have been a parade, bands and banners, balloons and confetti shot into the air while you were paraded about Mordor. And yet the kitchen staff stared at the stack of waffles, sides and omelet you had wanted with a deep clench in their guts. You yourself had remarked on your age going up on this particular day leading up to it so it couldn’t be a misplaced date. This was deliberate, through the streets it flooded and remorseful gazes spread around knowing their Queen had cut her own celebration to ensure they had all they needed. Tears and sniffles at the weight of the sacrifice after all you had done for them grew by the moment and a slipped lit candle into the sliced orange on the side of your meal grated them what they imagined to be the only time you would smile that day.</p><p>Chuckling weakly to yourself you thanked the staff for their best wishes and blew out the candle, wishing only for a good spring to follow this harsh winter you had expected then dug in. A noon meeting came after more hours of delving through backlogged papers and records, one that halfway through the echo of distant music had your brows furrowing in a rise to approach the far window. The tearing of spare pieces of parchment from old posters had filled trash cans with homemade confetti and in a haphazard way a band was pulled together and into the main courtyard just outside the Palace gates you watched lanterns being strung up along with final touches.</p><p>Pulling on your coat you joined your fellow former officers out into the snow ensuring you had your crown on straight, out through the gates you went only to grin at the sea of people having all made origami swans and flowers with well wishes written inside as their gifts. Music continued and into the growing celebration you gladly spoke with all who wished to and giggled your way through a few dances with some of your officers and a very enthusiastic baker who thanked you so long for bringing his sons home safe to him. By sunset a final city wide singing of the traditional song for a wish for many returns had you holding back your tears that finally broke loose once you had gotten back inside after insisting everyone go home and get warm at the growing snow thanking them heartily.</p><p>The smallest ballroom now held the tokens and to bed you went trying to stop crying as you knew you would and had each year since losing your mother. So long you’d been alone and you didn’t need the reminder that you were alone for another year. At least with the boys the topic of heirs could be put off, they could be counted as yours for now until you had settled alliances and considered your options. Even with the war you were decided to choose well and that would be hard given your lineage. Still time could do wondrous things and perhaps your reputation could top his, one day cushioning the search for a Mr.</p><p>.</p><p>A marigold dress and heels where what you chose and after your secure flight you landed on the outskirts of Rivendell. Eyes were glued to you and those old enough straight away recognized which line you came from, not your father’s but your mother’s. Straight from High King Inwe, who was in attendance and had heard how you had saved those in the smaller territory your uncle ruled over, including him. Straight from the entrance to the mingling hall you went after a brief meeting with the aid in charge of greeting you until Lord Elrond would get to you in the long line of guests to greet himself. Distant relations from the Vanyar broke the silence and gathered around you with those from Gondolin next.</p><p>Beside Lord Ecthellion a familiar curly haired blonde Lord stood with a serious expression in taking in your every reaction while Lord Ecthellion questioned you inevitably asking the question they all had been wondering. <em>“It is an honorable thing to have strove as hard as you have to spare as many as you had. However, I must ask why, why would you risk your life to do so? Any other King would have killed you for such disobedience.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“It wasn’t what I signed up for.”</em>
</p><p>Lord Glorfindel asked coldly, <em>“And just what did you sign up for?”</em></p><p>Your eyes met his and you said, <em>“I had just buried Naneth and the forces promised shelter, a bed and food. I didn’t sign up to kill babies. He had already taken everything from me, someone had to try and stop him.”</em></p><p>Glorfindel harshly replied, <em>“Some-,”</em></p><p>
  <em>“From our side.”</em>
</p><p>Lord Ecthellion stated and drew your gaze, <em>“Your eyes were brighter, of all the forces we interacted with, I doubted I could have ever mistaken them without your contacts. We received your letter of peace, consider it honored. We would cherish a friendship with you, Queen Jaqiearae. And if I may, Queen Morko would be proud.”</em></p><p>Forcing a grin you replied, <em>“No, she would have insisted I forgive him and let him learn on his own without my intruding.”</em></p><p>Glorfindel, <em>“Surely your offer to donate your bone marrow could be taken as forgiveness.”</em></p><p>Your eyes met his again, <em>“One of the other officers turned me in. When my verdict at the treason trial was to be read I was allowed a statement. I requested to be tested for a match to the King before I lost my head.”</em></p><p>Glorfindel’s eyes narrowed, <em>“I don’t follow.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Meaning the King had no clue I existed, and only I knew who I came from. When they learned who that was, my officers were following orders of the King’s Heir and would be pardoned from execution.”</em>
</p><p>Ecthellion, <em>“You expected for him to kill you.”</em> He stated it matter of factly with the shock of the words sinking in as you were approached by an aid you grinned to, <em>“Queen Jaqiearae, Lord Elrond is ready to greet you.”</em></p><p><em>“Lovely,”</em> In a nod to the others you stated, <em>“My Lords.”</em> Stepping away you felt their eyes on you and between themselves they chatted while you passed through the rest of the whispering Elves and now heavily guarded Lord waiting for you.</p><p>Nodding his head he stated, <em>“Queen Jaqiearae, you made good time.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Yes, managed to coast on the edge of a storm. Thank you for inviting me, and congratulations on your third child. A daughter is a fine gift.”</em>
</p><p>That was sincere and that was what puzzled the guards, simple gratitude and a peaceful demeanor. <em>“Thank you. We wished to prove our intentions of honoring your peace treaty and ceasefire, it was this or our Equinox celebration next month.”</em></p><p><em>“Ah, yes, I doubt I could have made the Equinox</em>,” that made his brow inch up, <em>“Our hail season over our peaks flights are grounded. All the same, I understand your caution and I do hope one day we might find comfort in one another’s company. And I do apologize if my gift is not rather impressive, I have not been privy to many noble celebrations to know what a proper gift for a Princess might be. As it goes my brothers are getting socks for theirs.”</em></p><p>Unable to help it he smirked at your hint of a smirk in amusement at your own pitiful joke and he replied, <em>“I am certain our daughter will appreciate your gift no matter what it is. Just as I am certain your brothers will enjoy theirs. I was led to understand they are named as your heirs.”</em></p><p>You nodded, <em>“I have spent so long in war, I know little else past leading people. Until I find myself guided to another I am content I have a cushion before my new council dares bring up my finding a suitor. As if I would be a catch.”</em></p><p>Elrond smirked replying, <em>“You are more Morko than Annatar, your actions prove it. I trust you will have offers in no time.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Patience would be key then, I am terribly dull in warming up to others, in which many have lost interest on the pathway in.”</em>
</p><p><em>“True of us all, Queen Jaqiearae.”</em> His lingering grin through the evening calmed a great deal of guests and his fond gazes from afar in your various mini interrogations solidified he had a budding trust for you already soon matched by a small group of others you hadn’t saved. In the pile of gifts a simple wooden box sat and with a grin Elrond and Celebrian inspected it and found the key. With it they opened the lid to see a miniature of Luthien dancing in the circle of rotating rings with Beren on a swiveling path but always obstructed by bushes to the iconic tune of the song in their honor. The gift itself was simple yet as she grew it could house a few simple pieces of jewelry or letters in the two drawers below the mirrored top but hearing you had made it yourself from scratch added to the sentiment of the intentions of it.</p><p>Clearly you were trying to be friendly, restraining your remarks from the defensive stance you would be allowed at having to constantly answer to everyone around you and the resolve to do so had worn down quite a bit of those still upset you had been invited. You remained off to the side and kept out of conversations unless invited cherishing the silence while it lasted and ended your first day in the gardens between two of the fountains avoiding another conversation, just staring up at the stars.</p><p>Behind you Glorfindel stated, <em>“I misjudged you,”</em> your head turned and his eyes met yours, <em>“And for that I apologize, Queen Jaqiearae.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“No need to apologize. So many people keep apologizing to me lately. I wish they would stop. I have never been one to demand them. We burned your cities, you owe me nothing, Lord Glorfindel.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Technically, you dirtied our cities and blew craters around them.”</em>
</p><p>The hint of teasing in his voice made your brow flinch a moment, <em>“Careful there, someone might assume you were planning on sending me a cleaning bill.”</em></p><p>Lowly he chortled replying, <em>“No doubt we have ample enough numbers to scrub our own kingdoms. Thanks to you more than half our crops were spared as well. Truly you could be the worst person to have guiding a King through war.”</em></p><p><em>“I suppose it’s a good thing I don’t have one then. Well, either of them.”</em> Another glance up and you said, <em>“I should head to bed before I fall asleep in Lord Elrond’s gardens.”</em></p><p><em>“Pity,”</em> he teased and you looked him over curiously, <em>“We were imagining some proof for the claims you sleep on the floor.”</em></p><p><em>“I am here for the weekend, there is time yet. Lord Glorfindel.” </em>You bowed your head and he did the same and watched you turn to head for your assigned guest chambers.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The room was perfectly lovely and closed off compared to how open most of the Kingdom seemed. It wasn’t without reason to come back early, it was bedtime back in Mordor and through the gardens faint echoes of the voice of the savior Colonel wafted on the breeze turning the heads of those still lingering awake among their fellow Lords. Memories of those carrier trips to safety came back to those who had heard the moonlit song through the war in hushed Vanyar most could not understand. A tale of foreboding trusting a dark haired stranger swearing to steal you away from a stale life. An odd tale for a lullaby but through the phone call the fussy boys dozed off and gently you wished the nannies good night thanking them again for caring for your heirs while you were away. While your pair of guards bunked down in their room having switched on a series of patrolling lizard alarms to allow you all to rest you changed from your gown to a simple pair of flannels and a sweater to curl up in the irritatingly silk coated bed hoping to try and sleep.</p><p>.</p><p>A knock on your door however was answered by your guards and in the window frame after a try to read a bit you were spotted sleeping with book in hand covering your foot, head resting forward on the leg propped up on the frame by the trio of Elleths come to deliver the private breakfasts for guests. No doubt an awkward position they wondered how you had gotten into and remained so all or most of the night. A cleared throat from one of your guards had your book snapping shut and your leg siding off the frame to settle on the ground in a seamless blink awake to appear like you weren’t just sleeping in the window. <strong><em>“Breakfast My Queen.” </em></strong>The Black Speech of Mordor once thought to send chills through the bones of any free Elf now seemed somehow harmless whilst spoken so casually between this odd group of guests.</p><p>With a nod you stood and reached up to brush your hair that was pooling forward to your face only to shake your foot and mumble, <strong><em>“Foot’s asleep</em>...”</strong> Lowly one of your guards chuckled in your three awkward steps before the feeling come back and you returned to your smooth steps nodding your head to the Elleths bowing their heads to you.</p><p>...</p><p>Clad in a yellow and black accented dress with alternating schemes on the paneled skirt matching your topaz and onyx crown resting on your braided back hair you exited your room ready for the early morning of mingling activities.</p><p>Timidly around you the Lords and Ladies kept to their own paths in the strolling gardens. And when you had stopped to admire a portrait of the start of the war against your father when the forces had tried to face him at the Black Gates and been cast back with heavy losses a Lady from Lothlorien bit the bullet and came up beside you. You seemed to be genuine enough and far from proud of his actions so to help her own people take the step of trying to befriend yours she eyed the painting, mainly Mt Doom and asked,<em> “What is it like, living so near to Mt Doom?”</em></p><p>Flashing her an easy grin you turned replying as a group of Lords and Ladies near to you including Elrond, Celebrian, Celeborn and Glorfindel with Oropher and his son Thranduil behind them. <em>“It does make for amusing times,”</em> the smirks on your guards had a few brows ticking up, <em>“For instance when I took over and made the public order to have the eye banners swapped for new ones with Pears on them the earth began to tremor. One of our head bakers joked it was my father thrashing around in his tomb at the assumption I would order up a pear topper for his watch tower as well.”</em></p><p>Thranduil asked at the snickering of your guards, <em>“Was he punished?”</em></p><p><em>“Hmm? No.”</em> You giggled out, <em>“We all had a good laugh about it. I find you have to have a good sense of humor to live in the path of an active volcano.”</em></p><p>Celebrian, <em>“Your people were so displeased with Annatar’s rule?”</em></p><p><em>“My people were starving when I met my father. I knew him personally just a month, though I do have to admit when he bought me a mithril harp that just erased all the aimless bloodshed and years of neglect and torment serving in his forces.” </em>At the sheer sarcastic snap of your grin at the end of your statement Glorfindel led the Lords in chuckles that they tried to muffle with throats clearing as the Ladies failed to keep from smiling in holding back theirs.</p><p>Glorfindel, <em>“You play the harp?”</em></p><p><em>“I know one song, it has four chords in it, though with spare finger flourishes no one is the wiser.”</em> Making him chuckle again along with the Ladies who have slaved for centuries to perfect their own musical talents. <em>“I am more apt to violin, and if you are not a critic or halfway hazy from shell shock I am not half bad on the flute. Alas the perils of a soldier’s life, our musical talents suffer so with constant warfare.”</em></p><p>Elrond chuckled out, <em>“With peace now you might find time to perfect your craft.”</em></p><p><em>“There is an advisor at home wishing I would, Yes. Apparently I am far too sarcastic to be Queen. I told him I was too sarcastic to be a Colonel too that’s part of why my men welcomed my promotion so quickly, to escape my pitiful tries for humor.” </em>Making more chuckle as you asked, <em>“I hear you’re prized for your horses, Lord Elrond?”</em> His brow inched up and you said, <em>“That’s about as casually as I can work that into a conversation,” </em>making the group grin again.</p><p>
  <em>“Of the Elven lands, yes. Do you not have horses?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Seven of my Lords have stallions, the rest prefer rhinos or Mumakil. It is hard to find tolerant Easterling breeders, we keep getting half starved horses.”</em>
</p><p>Celebrian asked, <em>“You do not ride then?”</em></p><p><em>“Well I rode a pony once on Lothlorien when I was a child,”</em> that had Celeborn’s brow inching up, <em>“Lady Nimloth’s mare bore him. Beautiful sandy pony, we were passing through to Lindon. Stopped to visit a cousin. I was too scared of the stairs so Lady Nimloth watched me.”</em></p><p>Celebrian, <em>“While you are here feel free to use any of our horses free for guests.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Well, that is a kind offer though I doubt I would do much past unnerve the horse and get us both terribly lost.”</em>
</p><p>Glorfindel smirked stating, <em>“I did not take you for the skittish type.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“No one ever does. My Sergeant at Arms still enjoys hiding in curtains to terrify me.”</em>
</p><p>Thranduil smirked, <em>“What is so terrifying about curtains?”</em></p><p>Smirking at him you said, <em>“Clearly your training camp wasn’t near a kangaroo reserve. More than a half of my cabinet is skittish around those creatures for how they tormented us. Finally get to rest and they would not have any of it.”</em></p><p>Celeborn, <em>“Ah, we had snapping turtles. My brothers and I used to click spoons at one another when we were younger.”</em></p><p>You looked at Glorfindel who said, <em>“My camp was lovely, save for an obnoxious peacock. Screamed nonstop.”</em></p><p><em>“Lucky,” </em>You said shaking your head and joining the group in their milling at Oropher’s gesturing hand.</p><p>Fading back from the center of the conversation you caught more than a few sideways glances from the group around you with a few taking the task to aid in a more seamless flow into the conversation again while you seemingly waited for their verbal jump ropes to grant you an opening to hop in. Clearly still the odd man out but growing a bit more casual from your oddly awkward social skills contrasting their images of your having been at home with your fellow soldiers stating just how long you must have spent with them to have been so casual and at home with being yourself. The true self they had caught glimmers of randomly with smiles and giggles placed between sly jokes or comments luring the group out of the expected stoic facade nobles normally kept that from affair to strangers you held flawlessly.</p><p>The arrival of the young Princes however had the few other children in these lands with them requesting for some of the guests to join in on their sculpting lesson while your group parted. Flashing the boy’s a grin in their curious near pouting glance your way you said, <em>“Just let me change first and I’ll join you.” </em>Brightening their smiles as they darted off to ready their art room for another table and stool to theirs.</p><p>Your leaving the mingling nobles wasn’t far from unexpected, the sight of you minutes later in an old flannel and jeans tucked into tall boots with crown still in place however had a few Ladies nearly falling over in leaning to keep sight of you as a pair of little girls led you by the hands to their art room. Word surely spread and with an apron on over his dress robes Celeborn eventually came to join you. Finding you on an adorably short stool with legs crossed between your stool and work table as you focused on shaping your blob of clay into something closer to the giant pig plushie one of the children had brought to be your model.</p><p>Each of the Lords smirking seeing the clay handprints on your forearms exposed by your rolled up sleeves from helping the children with small tips in breaks on your own pig. The next in which Elladan paused and left a streak of clay on your cheek trying to brush your hair out of your face he had been staring at instead was when Glorfindel came to join in on the spectating. The wide smile and giggles from you had his heart skipping and body locked in place until Ellohrir left a handprint on his robe tugging him over to his own station for help on the ears. Still a clay coated mess the adults had halfway expected to see you rushing off to bathe only to leap right into their invitation to make paper boats they guided you in a race through the gardens to the looking stream best for their races.</p><p>Fully at home and careless beyond aiding the children in having a fun time the rumors seemed to be growing truer by the moment with hardly a second thought how this fabled un-killable Warrior would mingle among them and their children. The sight was almost enough to have the Lords stating your stay could be extended until your caught moments of pause where you spoke of and thought of your brothers back home that you were missing terribly.</p><p>Group dinners you had scrubbed up and changed into another of your yellow gowns for only to catch glimpses of the few groups dancing in the distance while you were seated near your mother’s relatives holding you from the more festive side of the evening. A sight not missed by your company from earlier feeling that their earlier planned seating had been a mistake as a few of them might oblige you with a dance if you wished to allow them a glimpse of another side of your skills and flare as Queen.</p><p>.</p><p>Woken from the floor after having fallen out of it the night before in a painful stretching mishap you flashed a sleepy grin to the same Elleths from the day prior on popping up out of nowhere almost. A note along with the meal had you smirking curiously at Lord Glorfindel’s offer for a post breakfast ride requesting you wear something comfortable for a leisurely ride through some of their best trails. Jeans and a long sleeved shirt were pulled on with your boots and answering he knock at your door you found the Lord dressed in what must have passed for his casual, dark grey and green traveling robes with the green shirt reaching his knees covering the top of his grey pants. <em>“Are you ready to ride?”</em></p><p><em>“Why do you make it sound like we will be racing?” </em>He only smirked at you and stepped back showing you the stables where you were shown the ins and outs of first dressing the horses, yours being a creamy tan with white mane adoring your generous pets while his proud darker brown dappled horse stood ready for some serious riding.</p><p>Easy paths through a tour of the inner riding trail split out to some of their open plains where you caught sight of other groups riding to and fro where his horse picked up speed and you giggled through yours following suit to give him a good race. The spreading smile across your face only spread the one across the face of the chuckling Lord unable to do anything but that at your giddy giggles and taunts while your horse was clearly faster. Lasting until a distant horn sounded signaling the time to return for lunch allowing the steeds a calmer trot back to their resting that had you both parting and you eventually pulled off to play with the children again.</p><p>Two full days you enjoyed the company of your new friends you wished to one day invite to your kingdom for some real relaxing. And you found yourself post dinner where once again you were thwarted from dancing with anyone but the twin Princes who you crouched so they could spin you spreading the smiles of those looking on across from their curious father. A bow of your head and warning was given of your early departure to miss a rough patch of weather barring your way home again. And regrettably he kept tabs on your readying and path your car took to the waiting jet that was soon past their borders leaving him to break the news to his friends and those who had inquired on your absence.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>
  <strong>‘I await standing at your shoulder once more in battle.’</strong>
</p><p>The message sat as if burned into the center of the War Room table the Queen now stood in alone. At the shift of the air inside the Palace the young Princes seemed on edge of tears while with eyes closed she remained in thought while the Generals readied their forces. Morgoth was the one to end the marriage between her parents. Somehow able to break through the so called unflinching adoration he held for former Queen Morko in gaining more power for himself. The war the young Queen had all but been ended and while she had called for ceasefire Morgoth did not, no doubt word had not crossed their lands just yet that she had cut your efforts to fuel that Valar’s love of bloodshed. Somehow they had caught wind that the allies were not on full guard and now were open for attack.</p><p>Straightening up a deep breath filled her lungs and the servants having caught on that something was coming with possibly everything she had gained to be risked from it. Removing her hands from the table came in sliding her fingers across the chilled stone and a step back to turn on the ball of her foot strolling to the door growing more rigid in reaching it with a glint in her eyes seen from every General hinting at war. Tenderly the boys were cuddled and left with kisses on their foreheads after the bedtime story that she had read to them. And then she sealed their room entrusting the heirs to the care of the nannies with a General readying to be left in charge for her absence.</p><p>A year had passed, yet she could barely believe it. She was so different from the woman she was a year ago, but she did not mourn the loss. Instead, she held her head high with the knowledge of all that she accomplished. Waiting for her a group of soldiers stepped around the chair she lowered to sit on where they divided up her snowy curls to wrap in the same fireproof red wavy strips to be braided back in its old style. Blinking again at her reflection while they tied off the braid her black contacts and war paint gave sight to her old face she had grown so accustomed. Armor from the stand on the wall once she stripped fit like an old glove and with fingers flexing in the metal scales coating the backs of them to adjust their sitting back to normal she turned to the stand beside that to add the weapons there until it was empty.</p><p>All through the Palace the sound of marching boots echoed across silent rooms with hearts clenched with worry for what was coming for the soldiers thought to not be marching again so soon after the call for peace. No speeches were given and drawing the metal mask from the band on her thigh the former Colonel Pear secured it sealing the metal band with spikes circling her head to hold it in place blended into the soldiers worrying those looking on in the crowds around the gates of the Palace for the safety of their new ruler. The only one who had so selflessly put them and their safety first above all else. It had to be for them, the confirmation rippled through the crowds and cheers and whistles came to wish the soldiers and disguised Queen safe return.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> <strong><em>“Someone is doing something very foolish.”</em></strong> The report was just in, clear as the shadows crossing the horizon, Nerifgilem was marching to war. Your forces were drawn in but not told to stand down. Between visits home the soldiers were kept ready, assumed to face the threat of the Elves you had already faced to double cross your truce, not the Dark Elves led by Morgoth out to cross their borders. Readying for war themselves their forces gathered what could be spared and the open stretches of Arnor would be the endless battlefield sure to be bloody for centuries to come if you did not step in. The greatest hoard of allies for those displaced with little resources for fighting off the ground to draw from and the last thing they were expecting was for aid against your father’s greatest former ally assuming you would join them.</p><p>Back in the same glove of a suit of impenetrable armor and fireproof hair protection with black contacts and face paint to blend you back into your forces to fight among them. No one imagined you would face these forces yourself, and with this ally turned enemy your men would be needing you now more than ever to take strength from that their forenamed Witch King of Angmar among them. Morgoth himself had foretold that no man could kill you from the first time you faced his forces in your training fast tracking you up the ranks by your strength and prowess known only to Maiar and their kin. It was only fitting you would face him now, he wouldn’t be able to resist getting his hands bloody in this, and that would be where you would expand your territory to his as well crushing his people into obedience if you had to.</p><p>.</p><p>Greater Greenwood was first to encounter the forces and through the windshield of your Nazgul craft you could see the hopeless flickering expression in the guard’s faces in their hovering crafts when they saw your crafts breaking from above Morgoth’s dark endless cloud. Along their path you had joined them and without a thought they allowed you into their ranks to fit snugly at your usual places not knowing your trap near to snapping.</p><p>Down you dove and in a harsh slope your craft turned over to head back and split into twelve pieces sending you through the air widening the eyes of the guards inside the hovering craft. Across the nose of it your boots slid up over the screen that in a crouch your head, using the portal control from your Witch King program allowed your suit and craft to control or pass through other crafts and objects. With a wiggling finger wave you said, <em>“Hey, you might want to shift two clicks to the left.”</em></p><p>Your head pulled out again and crouching above their screen you watched your ship pieces spiraling in a ring vaporizing the nearest fifty ships, the ring that once the craft you were on had eased over with a tilt of its wing downwards was free of the suction zone. A maneuver their other ships followed as well while the actions clicked in their heads seeing more of your ships setting off the same reactions breaking large holes in their ranks. Sprinting down the nose of the craft you leapt for your diving ship that morphed around your body to catch up to the diving trio of ships heading for the ships readying to get aloft.</p><p>Down you dove and around their ships yours tangled engaging again sending vaporized debris down on the Elves below relieved at your aid. More and more kingdoms were facing stunning help from Cirith Ungul and Angmar and the lands far North you ruled as well. Boards of formerly dark ships knowing the enemy far greater than any and into the fifty five day battle you led the charge fearless of who was coming, unlike the still stunned new allies of yours.</p><p>Painful and bloody you wielded your compact bow firing off charged rounds between slashes with the sword tips and slices of heads being removed by the razor sharp draw string stunning your enemies how you were able to fluidly bring down so many forces larger and visually more armed than you without a flinch or pause between.</p><p>Your ship above continued its barrage among the other ships and carriers to get their forces on the ground while as many of your men were on the ground with you and your allies far from distinguishable past style of fighting with pounds of blood caked across all of you. Nearly out of charges you were left to slashing and hacking until your next break when you would be refueled.</p><p>Over the kingdoms unprotected save for the Ancalagon the Black systems, armored shields under the image of a giant black dragon comprised of thousands of multiplied carriers apt to defend itself while your forces were otherwise distracted, freed you to not worry about your distant homes and innocents for the time being. Panting raggedly ignoring the painful sting of a surely near to fractured left forearm held together by your armored suit and a pinch in your right thigh surely from some grazed attack you charged on catching sights of Morgoth’s inner circle. Larger than the others in a sea of wargs being dropped into the battlefield from the last of his ships hoping to dismantle the hopes of those on the grounds seeing you were still between refresher ranks to take the front granting others breaks he charged onwards.</p><p>Clear through the masses breaking in your smaller frame you stuck out and across his lips a snarl flashed his blood streaked teeth knowing at once who you were. Cries of support came from your men holding their own in their own skirmishes and the allies struggled to hold their own while also watching the young Queen they had only just barely met off to surely face her doom. Half your size a mace was brought down in a swing that somehow you managed to hop over, swinging your bow around it slicing it off at the handle to land feet first hard in his chest firing him back a good ten feet hard into the splitting earth. At once the field all but fell silent save for the yip of the dying warg fatally hit by the cut off mace. Shouldering your bow resting safely across your back plate and bloody mud caked braid you watched his growling rise asking, <strong><em>“No plea to surrender?!”</em></strong></p><p><strong><em>“You will die in the dirt,”</em></strong> You rasped out against the struggle your lungs were having to fill again in regaining your strength. But it was enough to make him charge again with heavy barbed edge sword drawn from his back.</p><p>Frozen in place the Elf Lords watched while your ships above fired on the advancing wargs now landed to keep them at bay. You avoided three slashes only to feel his hand tighten in your braid yanking you back in a try to make you kneel. Painfully arched back down his sword came landing between two folds on the front of the armor, and were you filling said armor to the edges it should have run you through, only with the force of the jab the fold pushed your side over gliding the blade right past your shrunken waist from the nearly two month endeavor. Exhaling in shock from the force of it you saw his smile split releasing you with his sword still lodged supposedly in your torso in your turning collapse to a knee.</p><p>Releasing your braid mid cackle he took no notice of your head slumping forward to ease your bow off. In a sharp turn to slice off his leg drawing a pained scream from the collapsing warrior now watching his blade retracting through your back plate as you forced yourself up to your feet to heavily stab his sword between his shoulder blades and neck. Far cleaner a death than many would have granted him his body fell and already you had turned with hands outstretched accepting the full slam of the warg into your chest. Gripping it’s neck with one hand the other brought your bow down in its next step dropping it quicker than it could have hoped and with a sharp jerk of your hand still latched into the fur on its head you threw it aside shouting for your men to rally again. Second step into your charge replying cries came from your men leading the other forces to stagger back to focus on the battle from your assumed fatal blow sure to leave you somewhere in the piles of bodies to come.</p><p>Between heavy blows while your men weakened you held firm holding up their hopes as you tossed the wargs with ease once killed to aid other men in facing their foes locking them in place and tearing others from allies weakening faster with armor not as strong against the dark forces.</p><p>Shrill and clear the alarm came and with it a drop of more forces from above who landed on top of your battling line from the back ready for their turn to drive the forces back more and down to one knee with your men you slumped panting for air feeling surely cracked ribs from the warg blows. Under the cover of raised armored shields you felt the mechanic lizards dropping down crawling over you while you caught water skins and pouches of lembas to power through. The creatures refueling your charges and supplying spare daggers picked up from the back of the battle lines and swords and bows if needed while smaller ones worked under your armor taking vitals and healing injuries it was able to.</p><p>Sore and ragged your head turned to the allies accepting aid from the creatures and gladly sharing the supplies as well catching the still stunned stares of equally bloody and Lords wishing to be able to send you home. Fully able to see the pain and wish to do so in your eyes you hid from you men who all rose as their Queen once again did in the lifting of the shields freeing you back to aid in the lesser skilled men who had gained their expected stretch of bloody and torn earth. Right up to the edges of Orcarni and the southern stretch of Dwarven lands backed by Erebor and Iron Hills the Dwarven forces battered brutally the other end of the dark forces leading to a jumbled final stretch of the battle with the left overs brought down on both sides with nowhere to flee.</p><p>Lowly King Baurndur laughed and called out to you crossing the small gap through his best men parting in his approach, “Queen Pear, welcome to Orcarni! A fine skirmish you had left for us! Come, rest and feast in our halls for your return in glorious splendor to your halls!”</p><p>Behind you the allied Elf Lords all stole glances to you and one another as all your forces able to filled the carriers to fly ahead to Mordor, back to Angmar, Cirith Ungul and the lands far North while merely fifty of your best remained with you. All of the allies sending as many home in their crafts they could as well with thousands still left on the ground to march with you to the open gates still wondering how you were still alive even with the healing lizards of yours. Few Elven races had been so close to the Dwarves with even those from Greenwood never to have been greeted so fondly as you had just been leading them to wonder how you had managed to gain their favor as well.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A few feet from King Baurndur outstretched hands were clasped and leaning in foreheads were tapped then you retracted, “Fierce battle fair Queen. My kin would pay a hefty wage to have seen the face on Morgoth upon finding your men targeting his.”</p><p>“Dig out your Pensieve and I can share our collective.”</p><p>Ecthellion asked, “Collective?”</p><p>Your head turned and you answered, “All our armor encases memories of what is around us so that later we may replay any battle of ours in great detail from any vantage point.”</p><p>Elrond tentatively asked, “Is that, for training purposes?”</p><p>“The feature was to fuel the bloodlust reminding those weakening on wish to continue to be played until the urge to battle again soared.”</p><p>Oropher, “That sounds like-,”</p><p>His voice broke off and you said, “Torture. Once connected to it you feel each and every blow while the collective plays. The feature remains for the mere fact I have been lax on deciphering how to disable it yet. For Morgoth’s death however, hundreds will be proud to see his end.” Over your head your ship remained circling the city of Orcarni and again you turned taking the Dwarf King’s side saying to him, “I do hope we left enough soldiers for you to slay.”</p><p>He laughed with his men turning with wide grins as your men smirked fully comforted on the now secure path for peace you had set Middle Earth with this weighty blow replying, “Once you had annihilated their carriers and high ground advantage they were sitting ducks. Bravo on using their assumed alliance with your forces to slip right in their ranks.”</p><p>“One would presume espionage might be in my blood by my current standing.”</p><p>Again the King laughed and clapped you on the back stunning the other Lords behind you at the easy contact on a Queen that was of no relation to him. “I have known you since your late teens and not once have you been successful in betraying any thing or one.”</p><p>“And you say that as if I am eons old. There has never been a Queen in either of our races my age.”</p><p>Baurndur smirked up at you saying, “Do not judge a fish on climbing trees.” An exhausted giggle escaped you in his deep chuckle while the Lords behind you remained confused to the meaning of his statement.</p><p>All through the front gates to the rivers flowing in from the distant oceans feeding into the marshes between Orcarni and Mordor you walked to meet with the waiting Dams and young Dwarrows, who once you crouched down got to dumping water over your heads to assist in helping to peel off your armor. Joining them from a fresh carrier of your men the armor and weapons of yours were gathered and to the shock of the allied Elves under the blood caked armor you stood in the group of shirtless men with a backless skintight shirt revealing your badly bruised back. Reaching under equally as tight pants reaching to your knees ending in ribbons retracting from your lower legs that connected to the lining of your boots with receptors for the lizard bots to get scans for injuries in your limbs.</p><p>From those taking your armor tins of fresh clothes were next on your path into the open Palace gates to walk across the mats lining the way to the bathhouses. Among fellow female soldiers of your kin and Dams went right while the rest went left granting the formerly stunned Lord Glorfindel who had been staring at your back feet in front of him a chance to ask, “King Baurndur.” The King turned stripping out of his own under layers he passed to his younger cousin who was not old enough to battle who looked at him again, “The comment you made, on fish climbing trees?”</p><p>The King laughed and clarified, “Ah, judge a fish on its ability to climb trees and they will forever believe themselves stupid. Our young Queen has no more power over her age than a fish has the ability to climb trees. It is our hope none of you should judge her on that.”</p><p>Celeborn, “Age is not a factor of doubt. Queen Pear has proven herself to be quite stunning in knowledge on deep intricacies of ruling people.”</p><p>Glorfindel, “It is curious, why your kin would be so fond of her, since your lands fall under her dominion.”</p><p>Baurndur laughed and nodded, “Ah, I take it you have not heard, before returning the Silmarils to the Feanoreans Queen Pear returned rule of our lands to our people in return for steady trade between our lands.”</p><p>Oropher, “Such a deal could have crippled their economy.”</p><p>King Nain, “As a matter of fact I believe her exact words were that a Dwarf Kingdom is far more profitable when ruled by Dwarves than those who do not know the lands, climate and vigor of its being. Through her service Queen Pear has dwelled abundantly in our lands here and that of our kin’s Annatar had controlled before and after having gained control of Angmar. Saw first hand how he punished our lands and people for his greed. You will see in time since first she faced Morgoth in training grounds and he named her un-killable she was King in their eyes since first she threw him down that first day, a King her people and our people would die for and do all we could to thrive under to see her kingdoms prosper. That was all before any saw what she could do with a weapon.”</p><p>Elrond, “After watching her fight so valiantly and rallying her men tirelessly that could hardly be argued with. No doubt after her being run through with Morgoth’s sword.”</p><p>Nain smirked, “His strength was brute force not accuracy. No doubt he had no clue at just what part of her he was aiming at.”</p><p>Glorfindel shook his head, “The sword pierced her abdomen! Not ninety feet from us!”</p><p>Baurndur smirked in patting his round hairy belly, “Perhaps so, though for all her armor the hungry Lass had filled barely half, or did you not notice the slopes that those scales of her were guarding.” Turning to the bath he stepped into the Lords looked to one another.</p><p>Each Elf joined in on the bathing and in their exhaustion allowed the Dwarves to hot rock beds with massages as they laid out to be stretched and pulled with bowls of Dwarven chips of dried fruit and meats to help them build up some strength until the meal. Across a hot rock bed a sighting of you being pulled up off the hot rock bed had Glorfindel groaning when the Dam helping him managed to pop his shoulder fully back into place. Still taking notice of the heavily bruised Queen limping with an ankle having been wrapped opposite a formerly badly dislocated hip of her own and no wound in sight for the sword that had no doubt impaled her in a new backless shirt and shorts.</p><p>Still with hair wrapped and contacts in she was led to the changing screens where contacts were removed and fresh tunic and knee length comfy pants perfect for relaxing and sleeping. Out she hobbled and was on her way to food urging the Lords to hurry and join her in clothes that had been pulled from their own packs that offered far more coverage. Around the head table the Lords sat in the low cushioned stools of their choosing flanking Queen Pear and the Dwarf Kings on the U shaped table at one end of the room filled with long tables for the rest of the soldiers around a dance floor.</p><p>Practically on the ground with legs folded in front of your stool you used your fingers to dig into the hearty meal of bread bowl stew with other offered dips and toppings for baked bread rounds used to scoop up the food to eat, a task you found quite ease in to somehow still seem graceful while doing it. Heavy mead sat ready to help lull out pleasant moods and to the first note of the music your head turned to Baurndur saying, “Queen Pear.”</p><p>Locking your eyes on his you sucked a final bit of food from your thumb and replied, “Don’t you dare ask me to dance.”</p><p>Loudly the Dwarf Lords laughed with the King who said, “No, I would not do that to you. I will however insist you take up the apartment that we have set up for you. And my Queen has so carefully crafted those chocolate coated Belladonna candies you love.”</p><p>“Oh that’s so nice and unnecessary of her.”</p><p>He shook his head and said, “Well Mahal has been generous, we are expecting and she is forbidden the treats another year, greatly missing them she is gladdened to have the surplus to pass over to you and your men.”</p><p>“Congratulations, and do thank her when she is no doubt allowed out of bed.”</p><p>Making him laugh again and point your way as you filled another bread round in lifting his glass, “You would be the one to understand her frustrations.” Taking a drink as a trio of servants brought out trays of bowls with the treats in them making you and your men smile and thank them for the toxic treats.</p><p>Oropher asked, “Queen Pear, is Belladonna not poisonous to your kin?”</p><p>Your General answered for you as you chewed your mouthful, “Those from Mordor and Angmar are immune to toxins other races would die from much like Hobbits. Besides, much of our training is building immunities to other poisons as well.”</p><p>Maglor said, “And yet, King Annatar died of poison?”</p><p>You answered lifting your goblet of mead, “He did not endure our training, merely enforced it. Our armies were vastly different before Morgoth dipped his claws in the tank.” One sip of mead and you set the goblet down to pop a candy between your lips.</p><p>Thranduil asked, “If I may, for having trained under Morgoth, you seem, rather animus to his memory, why?”</p><p>Swallowing the candy you replied, “Simply put, he is the one who told my father to abandon my Naneth.” That had the Lords stiffening, “According to father while he was dying, he loved her dearly, though he wished for power more and followed the advice of Morgoth and cast her off declaring war on her people. He started this and I blame him for Naneth’s slow withering in obscurity with no chance of going home again.”</p><p>Maedhros, “You will claim his lands then? Now that he is dead?”</p><p>“Unless you want them.”</p><p>He scoffed out a chuckle lifting his glass to say, “Those lands are poisoned and riddled with volcanoes.”</p><p>You smirked as Elrond said, “Perhaps it is best to hand it over to someone as accustomed as you to rule it. What of its people?”</p><p>Your General chuckled and his second replied, “There are no people there,” Lifting the brows of the Elf Lords, “No, we destroyed his military, that was it, those lands are not very impressive in size, but they would be excellent for grazing lands for our rhinos and Mumakil nurseries once we clear out the warg herds there.”</p><p>Your General said, “Then we could double our farming lands in Mordor rotating crops to their better fit lands filling our pantries even more.”</p><p>Celeborn, “You are low on food?”</p><p>“We have enough for now, but to see through our weather coming up more will need to be stored.”</p><p>Elrond, “We could send aid, you do know that.”</p><p>You nodded, “Thank you, I will look into that once I get back and check our production levels. Cirith Ungul and Anmar are fully independent and able to survive through the year without aid, merely Mordor is being raised to that level.”</p><p>Elrond, “We had been under the impression King Annatar’s Palace was always quite lavish to behold.”</p><p>“The Palace, yes, I endured it a month being pampered and spoiled while trying to sleep each night hearing the people crying out for food.” Glorfindel caught your eye as you noticed he was still staring at you, “There is good reason for my sleeping on the floor.”</p><p>Baurndur, “I am certain you might see for yourself it is still plenty lavish, merely less crowded without those orc bots hovering around.”</p><p>“I melted them down,” you said popping another scoop of food into your mouth.”</p><p>Your General nodded, “Yes, the metal was quite useful in crafting more tilling and farming machinery needed for food production.”</p><p>Nain, “Annoying things really, best to live simply, rather a more Dwarfly choice on her behalf.”</p><p>Dinner carried on and while the mead flowed cards and mahjong tiles were brought out until two Dwarves helped you to your feet and to your decided apartment that you plopped heavily across your spacious bed and fell hard into sleep. Two days through a storm while the long bloody trails of earth now grown over with lush green flowering clover you and your forces rested being pampered by the Dwarves who once the rains stopped watched you all fully armored up again leading your forces to the tunnels feeding between your kingdoms with the train usually used to ship supplies and goods sat empty for you to climb into and ride back to Mordor. All of your allies tentatively joined you onto the train filling it to the top with you literally seated on top of the first car between your General and the silent Lord Glorfindel who had claimed your empty side before realizing what he’d done. Over the tops of the cars your men settled granting the safer seats to the allies and their leaders.</p><p>Still in the huge tunnel path you watched the pillars racing by passing your facial mask to Lord Glorfindel when the steam from the engine began to billow back your way. Used to the steam you sat unaffected speaking with the other men on top of the train each enjoying the vibration of the train cars racing their ways home again helping to loosen your muscles up. And through the last bend of the tunnel Glorfindel lowered your mask seeing a light growing with the faint echo of cheers growing as your people had come to greet their returning Queen.</p><p>From imagined dark and depressing kingdom the onyx and milky grey marble carved city decorated with stained glass lighting the city magnificently with tall light posts decorated with pear banners and ample flower boxes. Colorful tropical birds flew overhead looking for perches and reason for the gathering only to land on the tops of the train that came to a slow stop in the station releasing plumes of steam dissipating to reveal the waiting crowds. Down you climbed and to the bowing public you accepted their thanks and pats on the arms and back receiving their thanks for returning their children home safely again with ample comments shared praising your fatal blow to Morgoth severing the ties to the war your father had initiated.</p><p>And while the Elf Lords watched you greet the people here to thank you they could only remember your saying your crown was drenched and heavy with innocent blood and perhaps one day if you fell your heir might have a lighter cleaner crown to bear. The comment stinging at their hearts seeing that you still deemed yourself no more than a soldier doing your best while the masses on the edge of tears with pride for their young selfless Queen all free lands now owe a great debt to.</p><p>Through the people lined streets heads nodded to the visiting Elves walking behind you to the Palace where a meal was waiting for you all. Guided to their quarters in the barracks your men had cleared and prepped for them a spare set of clothes to change into on the other edges of the courtyard opposite the Palace the Elf Lords were now crossing the front hall with you all eyed the line of servants here to welcome you back with two toddlers on their feet beside their nannies eagerly rocking from side to side. Breaking from the line the young Crown Princes tottered across the floor calling out, <strong><em>“Nana!”</em></strong></p><p>The Lords paused as you hurried ahead and dropped to a knee to scoop up the duo peppering kisses to the giggling boys’ cheeks, <strong><em>“Here you are. Look at you both. How have you been?” </em></strong>The boys babbled on and smiling widely you turned stunning the Lords at the sight of it before you introduced the pair to the Lords who each nodded their heads to the boys before you glanced at the servants you had assigned to each of them stating, <em>“If you would prefer you can change first and we will meet up for lunch.”</em></p><p>Separately they ventured to their impressive rooms in the surprisingly light colored interior of the black and milky grey Palace where robes were waiting for them to change into as close to their usual style as you could manage from the more skin baring style your people bore themselves. Once changed though they found you without hair strand wax covers curls loose to view over your maroon sweater and jeans above your usual moccasins far from the upscale gown they had been expecting. True you had your shimmering crown on but beyond that the only hint of your rule was the look in the eyes of the servants you passed greeting you formally when available.</p><p>In your arms the boys clung to you unwilling to let go after two months of not seeing you and after the lunch when they went down for a nap once they had sleepily waved to the visiting Lords you got to giving the Lords a tour. Clapping your hands you said, <em>“I suppose we start at the front door. Where I started.” </em>The Lords could only smile as your awkward self came out again as they got possibly the most interesting tour of a Palace they had ever received. Still it was one of the most fun and in their curious break while you were alerted the latest information on the food stores had been collected for you to review later.</p><p>Turned to the group again you found Celeborn and the Feanoreans looking out at the streams flowing in view of them. Your General stated as you were approached by another servant about a displacement of towels yet to be located. <em>“We can see the gardens next if you like.”</em></p><p>Echtellion said, <em>“I was under the impression the rivers in these lands ran blood red.”</em></p><p>General, <em>“They used to. One tip Queen Pear was given by Annatar upon his deathbed was the right bend in the stream to throw his sons in.” </em>That had the Lords looking at him, <em>“For generations one King to the next culled those threatening their rule once they took powers. Many young were cast into those waters unable to fight the currents or frigid temperatures through winter. Obviously Queen Pear refused, and once he had died she planted those bushes along the edge of the stream, each with the names on signs honoring those killed there. By morning the waters were clear. Several others killed in the name of terrible Kings are set to be honored in statues replacing those Annatar had planned for crafting. Several choices seem small at the time, however one day she will see the weight of them for her people and how they adore her. Perhaps when she has the statue of little Ringwe unveiled near the bakery.”</em></p><p>Elrond, <em>“Who is little Ringwe?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“He was a boy who raced to warn the King that while he was building a fort in the woods once surrounding these lands once without its mountain wall, that enemy ships were approaching. He died near the bakery he lived above with his parents with an arrow in his back, one his baby sister would have been hit by if he hadn’t taken it. She warned the King and we won that battle. The King never acknowledged him of thanked his family.”</em>
</p><p>Glorfindel, <em>“How was the wall crafted then? If there was no wall.”</em></p><p>A hard tremor had the Lords looking around only to see you approaching with a giggle, <em>“Not to worry, merely Mt Doom’s bi-weekly tremor.”</em></p><p>Glorfindel, <em>“You face that twice a week?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Yes, do not worry we are not due for an eruption for another four years and five months. And to answer your question Mt Doom is how we got the wall. Ancalagon the Black is more than a war tool, every five years we align it how we wish and the lava follows the trenches we dig to either expanding our lands or enforcing our walls if needed.”</em>
</p><p>Glorfindel nodded, <em>“Still, you face that twice a week?”</em></p><p>You giggled again, <em>“You should visit next eruption, it isn’t just onyx enforcing our buildings and walls but volcanic glass and stone. Our city is built to endure and thankfully for my clumsy self we take great care to ensure nothing fragile is easily tumbled by tremors. That was a nudge compared to an eruption. Last one we shook for nearly an hour on and off while Mt Doom flowed for a week and a half. Got a whole mile to add to our farming land once the soil we imported from Orcarni takes hold.”</em></p><p>Celeborn, <em>“You import soil from Orcarni?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Yes, in their mining and construction of their new structures they tend to have a surplus of soil just ripe for planting. Part of our trade agreement, we have rocky land to coat to expand our fields each eruption and until they are content with their digging they have a customer for their soil. I have heard you import shells from Grey Havens, so you aren’t so far off on importing seemingly odd resources.”</em>
</p><p>Celeborn grinned in shaking his head, <em>“No, not in the least.”</em></p><p>Thunder distantly sounded and you said, <em>“I gave a call to Gondor earlier when I was changing, we have a storm rolling through for about a week but after a few days we should be able to fly you towards their territories avoiding our wall of hail.”</em></p><p>Elrond, <em>“I had imagined when you said hail blocked your flights it covered the entire flight path out of Mordor.”</em></p><p><em>“The hail covers our Northern and half of our Eastern pathways, why we have the tunnels for Orcarni and the Iron Hills, at the time we hadn’t discussed traveling over Gondor’s territory, however they are your allies as well and they have agreed to allow us clearance to cross their territories to get you all home. Should take another day to ready our carriers if you are impatient. Plus, we have coms ready in my War Room to call home if you like. Let your families know you have all your toes and all that fun stuff still.”</em> Making them smirk and turn to join you for the rest of the tour.</p><p>Cards and the game hall was opened and while the Lords did take turns using your War Room a few smirked seeing you helping Servants rolling carts of towels you had helped locate to be distributed to where they were needed and diner eventually came along with carrying the boys out from their naps into playtime building block castles in the corner of the game hall distracting you from your amused guests.</p><p>.</p><p>Alone in your War Room you leaned back in your chair watching the face of the Ruler of the Easterlings who had been ranting endlessly about the allegiance between his territories, yours and Morgoth’s. What began as a possible threat came to a rounding halt when he took notice of Morgoth’s sword and helmet sitting in the center of your table brought earlier by the first soldiers returned from the battle while your eyes shifted to the door having noticed a shadow of someone in the hall stepping back from the open doorway. <strong>“That is Morgoth’s helmet.”</strong></p><p>
  <strong>“Yes, and the sword I killed him with. You were saying, about our allegiance and duties I possibly had not been aware of from the alliances my father had chosen.”</strong>
</p><p>He blinked at you and cleared his throat as you saw his Council shifting in their seats and glancing at him<strong>. “I take it you now rule claim over Nerifgilem?”</strong></p><p>
  <strong>“Unless you wish to declare rights to it against my blood born claim.”</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>“Not at all Queen Pear. I await to see where your new alliances shift the safety of our territories. And do not fret, we are battle ready to defend what is ours if those new alliances crumble to dust.”</strong>
</p><p>With a nod you said, <strong>“That is comforting, you will not be alone in watching for my next move, alongside my new alliances who are also curious to see if any more helmets will be added to my table of those threatening my new friendships.”</strong> His face all but went pale as you bid him a goodnight and cut off the feed, uncrossing your feet and standing up to cross the room to the hall you followed the direction of the shadow to find Glorfindel in your father’s old study peering up at a portrait. <em>“Phone is free now.”</em></p><p>Shaking his head he shifted to face you releasing his hands that were clasped behind his back, <em>“No, I, was walking. I did not mean to disturb you. I could not sleep. This is a lovely portrait of you.”</em></p><p>Turning your gaze to the moonlit portrait he was gazing at you replied, <em>“That was my Naneth. Father never took it down. Refused to.”</em></p><p>He nodded, <em>“Ah, forgive me, I had never seen Queen Morko myself.”</em></p><p>You shook your head, <em>“No apology needed. The portrait father commissioned is in the Hall of Portraits after his. We have teas to help with sleep if you wish. I promise to ensure it isn’t toxic for you.”</em> You teased and he chuckled following you through the door to the hall.</p><p>Once in the hall he looked you over noting you were in flannel pajamas and moccasins making him ask, <em>“You could not sleep either?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“No, I received a message on a call from the Easterlings. Was it the bed?”</em>
</p><p>He looked at you and shook his head, <em>“No, I have three bruised ribs, sleeping is, slow coming for me when I cannot lay on my sides.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Ah we do have numbing creams.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No thank you. I will sleep eventually.”</em>
</p><p>To the kitchens you led him and he watched you tap your nails on the railing to the three steps curious to him until he heard the servants inside who readied from their tasks to no doubt greet you without having been startled making him smirk imagining you startling them before in a late night arrival. <strong><em>“Tea please,”</em></strong> One woman nodded her head and got to boiling water while another two found mugs as you went to the pantry to bring out the proper tea canisters. Sliding one mug closer to him as the boiled water was brought over you said, <em>“This one is yours, mine would kill you.”</em></p><p>He smirked asking,<em> “You truly drink poisons?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“I hear it works wonders for the spleen.”</em>
</p><p>Glorfindel asked as you filled the fish shaped tea bags with the tea leaves you lowered into both mugs, <em>“What use is the spleen again?”</em></p><p><em>“I am a soldier, not a surgeon,” </em>your eyes rose to one of the younger kitchen workers who was drying glasses with a rag in her hand, <em>“Perhaps Marya, you might know?”</em></p><p>She stepped forward answering, <em>“The spleen is used for filtering blood and aiding the immune system.”</em> Then grinning at her mother readying bread for the next morning who grinned proudly back at her returning to her duties.</p><p>Glorfindel looked back to you as you said, <em>“Marya is going to be a Doctor.”</em></p><p>He said, <em>“Ah,”</em> easing his mug closer to him while you added a spoonful of honey to your mug of poison. <em>“You, would aid in that?”</em></p><p>Smirking in lifting your mug you said, <em>“I used to scrub floors before Naneth withered to pay for my schooling. We could always use more Doctors and if need be I am perfectly capable of washing my own dishes. However I am a miserable plumber, and there are many feisty sinks in this Palace, so we will never be in a shortage of them. Fairly safe employment here. Do you know how to fix sinks?”</em></p><p>He chuckled as you took a sip of your drink, <em>“No,”</em> lifting for just a whiff of his tea he shook his head and you pointed to the door silently guiding him to head back to his room earning a nod from him.</p><p>
  <em>“Best get you to bed.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Why would you ask if I was a plumber, and pray do not assume I am against dreaming for a greater life and working for it. Merely, not many would be so supportive of one moving from the kitchens to a medical profession.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“A Doctor is a servant with a different bag of tools.”</em>
</p><p><em>“True,”</em> he replied at the base of the steps pausing a moment as that sank in fully, then he followed you up the steps leaving the servants smirking at you and your new friend getting along. <em>“Very true.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“As for plumbing I am wondering if you have any hidden talents keeping you in Rivendell for so long.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“For your information I happen to be able to identify any type of bird and insect on sight.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Very useful.”</em>
</p><p><em>“Not entirely. Although Elrond is very kind in stating it is,”</em> making you giggle through another sip of your tea, <em>“Lord Ecthellion and I are due to aid Gondolin repairs the start of next month, then I am back to my place on his Council.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“No doubt your family would be glad to have you back.”</em>
</p><p>Again he looked at you, <em>“Well, my sister should be giving birth soon. I would be useful.”</em></p><p><em>“I highly doubt if anyone asked your family what they think of you useful would be near the bottom of the list of words chosen.”</em> His brow inched up and you said, <em>“No doubt they adore you and value you more than simply for your usefulness is what I meant. Your Naneth didn’t look at you swaddled and nod saying, yes. This one will be my useful one. I will love the girl,” </em>Lowly he chuckled and you giggled out<em>, “Her I will cherish.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“I see your point. I am the son though.”</em>
</p><p><em>“Poor you,”</em> you teased making him smile again glancing down at his still darkening tea feeling just the steam from it helping to ease him to sleep already. <em>“I suppose you must hold onto your usefulness then.”</em></p><p>Outside his door you stopped taking another sip and he looked you over and said, <em>“I do have a question, we saw pierced through the abdomen by Morgoth. How are you still standing?”</em></p><p>Smirking at him you lowered your mug, <em>“Our armor has overlapping plates, when he tugged me back he twisted me in an angle that had one of the plates laying over my side, so he stabbed right next to my abdomen. But I did see the footage and it was no wonder my men fought so hard after seeing me tear the sword out and kill him with it.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Why did you come to battle? Your men could have fought without you.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“One thing people don’t understand, is that for centuries I ordered my men to disobey every order their King gave. To fight against everything he wanted and when it came to bomb kingdoms I led the dropping of craters around kingdoms instead of inside them. Then I declared war on our oldest, if not only real ally through the war I was trying to end. Morgoth named me un-killable when I brought him down unarmed, not out of respect for my abilities but because he wanted others to challenge me on it. No one who faced Morgoth in battle could so much as touch him, so when I declared war on him I was going to have to be the one to kill him. My men were terrified that with our new alliance they would be prey for your men as well as Morgoth’s, I went to war for them, to keep them safe, to kill the un-killable and end one impossibly selfish war. You know your side of the war, but we saw how dark he could have gotten, how cruel he could have been, to defy someone like that.”</em>
</p><p>With a nod he said muttered, <em>“You were ready to die for your men, expecting your father to kill you.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“No doubt if he wasn’t dying and supposedly didn’t love Naneth he very well would have. But I’m here, and you should go to bed, before you are the one waking up on the floor. Goodnight Lord Glorfindel.”</em>
</p><p>He nodded his head and watched you head for your own apartment opening his door, <em>“Goodnight, Queen Pear.”</em></p><p>In he went and sure enough all it took was a sip and he yawned setting down the mug and laying back he was gone to the world until sunrise filled the room with light and he woke up feeling very well rested for the first time in months since marching to battle. Sitting up to find he truly only had the one sip of tea he stood and took to his bath to rinse out pretending he had drank it all to not have wasted the rest.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Long time coming but here's another chapter of this story. Use of the lyrics Cost of the Crown by Mercedes Lackey</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Which King Pt 3</p><p>…</p><p>Cost of the crown by mercedes lackey</p><p>…</p><p>Knocks on the doors to his assigned room lured the slightly less sore Lord from his bed to the doors where alongside the confused Lords he hastened to change into their gifted layers and join the crowds outside they had been alerted to. Woven between the crowds in the grounds and streets of the city packed with what seemed to be every citizen of Morder the allies found spots to stare up at the monitors from each lantern that to their shock showed the back of a figure strolling across the surface of a roaring river. In the distance the goal was a lone island no bigger than the size of a piano with just a mist filled glass pillar in the center of it.</p><p>Silently the allies wondered what was going on as they could clearly take hint as to who the body belonged to by the crown and caped gown on the body with white golden curls woven into a braided bun. No explanation came from the citizens around them just sight of a few instruments that joined in to play along to the sound of the ethereal hum broadcast through the drone hovering a respectful distance from their Queen strolling to that island.</p><p>A circle of the body revealed that the golden woven silk layer secured by a loop around the neck and in strips after cutouts down both arms to flow into the cape that began at the elbows and lower ribs and hung to the ground that could resemble wings when the arms were lifted. One of the straps around the upper back secured to the gold bustier of woven gold vines and leaves scattered with teardrop sapphires across the cups that supported both breasts, between which was a larger teardrop above a duo of golden leaves with a larger sapphire teardrop that sat against your torso. The straps were straight lined of vines and leaves in the same solid gold that formed the strand laid out to join them in a slight dip to end with another downward strand of leaves and sapphires ended with a second of the largest teardrop stones on your chest to mirror the one below your breasts they sat between the stones drew focus to.</p><p>That vine design matched the belt waistband on the black paneled skirt with sheer hip high slits of sheer lace on the side of both legs around layered solid black material covering your front and back that hung to the ground flashing glimpses of bare toes underneath that effortlessly touched the cold stones that rose from the frigid depths of the water below. Aside from the topaz and onyx formed crown the only other thing that kept the sore Lord from ogling the bare skin and clearly bruised midriff of their host Queen was Morgoth’s sword in one of her hands that hung down at her side.</p><p>Unable to help it he asked, <em>“Where is Queen Pear going?”</em></p><p>One of the servants from the palace slipped out into the gardens to whisper, <em>“Tulkas demands judgment of our Kings after battles.” </em></p><p>That had the visiting Lords glance from her to the screens again when she tapped a finger to her lips and pointed to the monitor only to hear one of the grounds keepers murmur, <em>“May Eru find honor in her victory and spare her from the watery deep.”</em> The words parted their lips having assumed quite rightly that in this show of loyalty to the Valar known for prowess in arms who since this kingdom’s birth was owed fealty by their Rulers with those who post battle were found dishonorable were drug to the depths of the river they strode across in the slaying of their greatest foe they had faced. A right Annatar had avoided by not entering a war himself, one you would never refuse by your Vanyar ties that kept you from ever ignoring a chance to pay honor to the Valar as their favored race of Elves.</p><p>Right from the center of the mist filled pillar on the island a pulse of light flashed like a cloud around the pillar to the sound of a horn that silenced the few allies able to lowly comment on what was happening and lured all eyes to the once humming Queen now singing in Valinorean.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The stars are very beautiful, above the palace walls,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They shine with equal splendor, still above far humbler halls.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I watch them from my window, but their bright entrancing glow,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Reminds me of the freedom I gave up so long ago.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The royal circlet of bright gold rests lightly on my brow,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I once thought only of the rights this circlet would endow.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But once I took the crown to which I had been schooled and bred,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I found it heavy on the heart, though light upon the head.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>From the cloud around the pillar a body began to form and on the building breeze a waft of echoes of an unseen choir of voices continued the humming tune to the music the kingdom was still playing.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Although I am the head of state, in truth I am the least,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The true Queen knows her people fed, before she sits to feast.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The good Queen knows her people safe, before she takes her rest,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Thinks twice and thrice and yet again, before she makes request.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>For they are all my children, all, that I swore to defend,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It is my duty to become both Queen and trusted friend—</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And of my children high and low, from beggar to above,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The dearest are my Heralds, who return my care with love.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Deep from the depths of the water shimmering light formed creatures began to swim up to the surface to circle the rising stones that allowed you to continue on towards the island you refused to take your eyes from to not lose your balance or nerve to keep going.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The dearest are my Heralds, swift to spring to my command.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Who give me aid and fellowship, who always understand</em>
</p><p>
  <em>That land and people first have needs that I may not deny—</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So I must send my dearest friends to danger—and to die.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>A friend, a love, a child—it matters not, I know indeed,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>That I must sacrifice them all if there should be the need.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They know, and they forgive me—doing more than I require,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>With willing minds and loving hearts go straight to grasp the fire.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>From the cloud fully visible now Valar Tulkas stood on the island with golden hair and bright eyes glowing in the sunlight that reflected the swirls down his bared arms and neck around his sleeveless vest that hung over the pants ended in his swirl coated bare feet. A smirk ghosting across his lips at your approach of the final stone having been stood up by the past King Annatar several times for this rite, and now right on cue in front of you the sword was raised flat across both your palms to present to him.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>These tears that burn my eyes are all the tears the Queen can't shed,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The tears I weep in silence as I mourn my Heralds dead.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh gods that dwell beyond the stars, if you can hear my cry—</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And if you have compassion—let me send no more to die!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>To the final line atop the few inches the timid step you had taken onto the edge of the island to follow tradition you began to dip to kneel. Out of the pillar the mist pooled out and took the shape of various animals, including a large otter that stood in an innocent force to prevent you from lowering yourself to the ground. Away from the bright eyes of the otter your eyes rose innocently to the smiling Valar who was detailing the weapon you brought to offer to him. Deep from his belly a jovial laugh began to bubble out in the gentle lift of the sword from your palms. Deep hearty laughs that shattered your nerves with a few weak giggles that left you with a smile on your face through the rest of his laughter and move of his free hand that palm up in the unfurl of his fingers to reveal a small decorative metal box. Atop the lid was a female figure laid out relaxed in rest and borders of green vines matching those bordering the sides that branched down to the curled claw feet surrounding butterflies around the sides.</p><p>Timidly from his palm you lifted the box that after a glance up at his face you used your thumbs to lift the lid that revealed the velvet lined pocket containing two rings and a bracelet. The latter you lifted to inspect, then looked up at his acceptance of the galvorn braided chain he unhooked the ax shaped end that let him unwind the chain he looped twice around your raised wrist and secured with the silver ax head accented with golden interwoven designs on both sides in a loop of the chain. <em>“Thank you,” </em>was all you could manage to say in a glance up at the Valar whose hands settled on both your shoulders to dip his forehead to tap yours in a show of respect from warrior to warrior that lured your eyes shut and then timidly open them again.</p><p><em>“Once upon the shore don your rings. Not before</em>.” You nodded and again his smile widened in the start of more laughter that his body began to fade away back through the pillar with the sword held aloft eager to show off the weapon of the fallen Valar who the others had struck against in battle several times who was now slain from his physical form with his fea back in Mandos’ Halls bound to submit to punishment for his crimes.</p><p>Not until the pillar dimmed back to its calm mist again you remained in place and closed the box to turn and follow the path back to the sound of another loud horn that set off a chorus of cheers and whistles from the citizens watching in celebration of their honorable Queen. Now the Lords got their answers when the same young Elleth from earlier spoke again between excited chuckles, <em>“That band signifies the strongest of our Queen’s foes she faced in battle was given an honorable end.”</em></p><p>Elrond asked, <em>“Honorable end?”</em></p><p>
  <em>“The Valar Tulkas demands when our people face battle our King returns and offers the blade of their strongest foe they faced to present to the Valar. Should they be found to have won the battle dishonorably they will be drug to the watery depths. Only the honorable and just are worthy to rule these lands under his protection.”</em>
</p><p>Celeborn, <em>“King Annatar did not offer himself up for judgment I presume?”</em></p><p>She shook her head, <em>“He ignored the calls of the horns every battle and our lands fell to famine.”</em></p><p>The celebration that had been readied in hopeful anticipation of the celebration of the rightful Queen now proven to be worthy to rule and rebuild their kingdom to its proper glory as it was with the last honorable King ages prior. Still with a smile back across the glowing creature lined path of stones you took back to shore you heard and stole glances at the building festival your own people had set off. Right off in the first step ashore confetti was thrown to waft down around you that lured more giggles widening your brilliant smile for images to be captured and painted up in portraits later to mark the occasion by several artists they would offer for choice to hang and mark the occasion. The cheering crowd from there to the central courtyard of the festival led you to a podium brought for the box that you giggled again in opening to bring out the two rings you palmed to settle the box on top of the surface.</p><p>From echoes of choirs to just the same chilly morning breeze still in the cusp of Spring the wind changed and stirred a ripple of your cape in the presentation of the first ring. On a slightly crooked galvorn band shaped like black vines that curled up to encircle the teardrop shaped white glowing stone you eased onto your right ring finger, a marker that with the first dishonorable King was taken back that symbolized the proper ruler of these lands and people backed by the Valar who reigned here.</p><p>Cheers rose then faded to the show of the second ring, mithril overlapping bands coated in white glowing stones that met at a flower design that shone brightly in the ease of it over your left ring finger. The moment it came to a stop eyes shifted upwards with smiles spreading to the clear glow and rumble of songs each tree throughout the city gave to the glow and bloom of the flowers yet to bloom on the lingering chill of the long winter. A marker from the Valar to aid in prosperous growth seasons through your reign to counter the hefty effects lingering from the deeply earthed famine that your efforts had been in heavy battle against.</p><p>Songs and dances picked up in the joy that rose and to the side you met up with the Elf Lords who in the place a couple feet from them they saw the bruises across your belly rose up to both of your sides. Though the details of the skin baring outfit gave a clear image of what other possible outfits you might have tucked in your closet in this kingdom where other women and men bore what skin they felt comfortable in showing. All hinted to how warm the summers could grow in this tropical place that the higher the sun rose already some of the allies contemplated unbuttoning their collars. Mid explanation of one of the uses of the bowls being offered from a stand everyone who passed by seemed to want your eyes drifted to the curly haired blonde Lord Glorfindel with his eyes in another scan over the fully adorned and smiling Queen just a couple feet away.<em> “The bowls are for the games. You pair up and like an egg toss they head to one of our bare patches of grass in need of a garden and you toss seeds in a zigzag from person to person with joint steps back with each toss followed by a bowl of water.”</em></p><p>Oropher chuckled, <em>“Sounds like it could spoil an outfit quite easily.”</em></p><p>You giggled and said, <em>“Usually ends in everyone returning coated in mud and grass. More fun than it sounds and helps to spread our gardens to help our bee populations that just came out of winter’s rest.”</em></p><p>Celeborn, <em>“What other events do these stalls suit?”</em> Down the festival line until even the Lords had been drawn off to various things since the time a prompt bow of one of the citizens claimed the chance to invite their Queen to dance.</p><p>Stolen glances to follow the clear giggles they knew to whom it belonged in the midst of the crowd the skip based dance brief on touch found you in forward skips to your partners then backwards in spirals and then twists to change partners for puzzling patterns to those not from here. Every glance however only stirred up regret for not having allowed you chance to dance at the celebration in Rivendell as surely there would have been hundreds of suitors more than willing to wait in line for a dance.</p><p><em>“Hi,”</em> you managed to giggle in the reshuffle of partners in a pause and glance up to who owned the chest you had almost turned into.</p><p>The wide smile with the sound had Lord Glorfindel with eyes fixed on you from the end of the dance with the Elleth that had requested the prior dance who cleared his throat and replied, <em>“Hello, how are your ribs?”</em></p><p>You giggled again and stepped back, a move that snapped him into the proper place for the start of the dance to the stir of the music, <em>“I would guess better than yours. Sleep well?”</em></p><p><em>“Oh yes, thank you,”</em> he said in the first joint step forward for the start of diagonal steps in which you would turn to remain facing one another. <em>“How did you sleep?”</em> he asked in the next three backward steps.</p><p><em>“I didn’t. I lounged while locked in choice for my outfit.”</em> His brow arched up and you said, <em>“Stuck between emeralds and sapphires. Each have meaning and those portraits will hang for ages to come.”</em></p><p><em>“Ah, so the stones were the debate,”</em> he muttered then anxiously stole a glance away to the spread of your smirk.</p><p>
  <em>“If my sapphires make you bashful feel free to avoid the lift. I promise I won’t take offence. I would hate to harm your ribs as well.”</em>
</p><p>Widely an awkward smile split across his face in a reluctant meet of your gaze, <em>“I am not bashful.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Then inform your face, that grin says otherwise.”</em>
</p><p><em>“Lifting you will not harm my ribs,” </em>he said with a twist of a playful smirk and furrow of his brows your way in another twirling pass between two other pairs before the meet up again to spiral that fed into the lift.</p><p>Between the other pairs in each of his steps his eyes trailed your path in blind trace of the mandatory steps with watch of your giggling glances to smiling people passing you giddy from the occasion. And then again back up to his chest you stepped and raised your hands to settle on his shoulders while his hands folded around your waist and in what seemed to be a blink weightlessly he lifted you and then settled you down again for a retraction of hands for back and forth turns to lead and follow. In a reach over your head a lock of hands found you turned away from the Lord who carefully in the second lift reached underneath your cape to rest you on his shoulder for your catch of a ribbon tossed your way for a criss cross of ribbons the pairs that passed under would tangle their own ribbons to form a tangle of colors that would be handed over afterwards to a gaggle of children to weave more ribbons and flowers to be on display through the season until it would fall down on its own as per tradition.</p><p>A gentle grip of your hips and the Lord helped you down and kept his eyes on you in a turn to ask him, <em>“Hungry? Nearly noon. You’ve barely had much beyond a few morsels from stands.”</em></p><p><em>“It would appear so,”</em> he chuckled out to your giggle at his stomach growling loudly.</p><p>With another giggle and a turn to accept a whispered message from one of the aids helping with the feast you nodded and took the help up onto a half wall to give off a cheer and smile inducing announcement in Black Speech and Quenya that the meal was ready. That lured the crowds to the field of tables loaded with foods every person savored, some of which you were seen feeding small bits to your brothers then helped to clean up after for a shift of the mood to clear up as the Lords followed you back to the Palace to answer the request to play again.</p><p>..</p><p>Through playtime across the toys while the Lords sat for a round of cards and other games to wind down from the exciting morning and while the Lords readied their things and forces to head to the airstrip you tucked the boys into bed with a story before their bedtime to cover your trip away. Comfortably in jeans, long boots and an old flannel without your crown into the hall you strode coming into view of the frozen Lord who watched as your hands fluffed out the glimmering white golden curls you freed from your braided bun in a smile his way once you noticed he was there. Out of your pocket a folded bit of colorful parchment was drawn and a curious smirk eased out, <em>“Promise it’s not poison. For your ribs made you a few fish to help you sleep with those pesky ribs of yours.”</em></p><p>Around the other end of the packet his fingers folded and the smirk on his face spread in his tuck of the packet in his bag before his free hand shifted to take some of the weight for the other bag that held his armored layers.<em> “Thank you, very kind of you. I cannot remember the last time I slept so soundly.” </em>In a step aside he turned to walk with you to blend with the others.</p><p>
  <em>“If you lived in warmer climates I could send you back with some cuttings to plant, after all when your sister gives birth you might be needing some help to sleep after being useful and all.”</em>
</p><p>To himself he chuckled and said, <em>“Well perhaps I might be able to repay your kindness by sharing some of my knowledge on the birds and insects you managed to save within our glowing kingdom.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“That would be a lovely change to my mailbox. Normally when I get notices on winged citizens it revolves around them attacking feather free counterparts.”</em>
</p><p>Again he chuckled and said, <em>“Perhaps I might be able to think up some ways to soothe your feathered friends to build bridges between your people and theirs.”</em></p><p><em>“Well Gondolin does have a mastery of bridges and fountains. You would be the people to consult on bridges. I will try not to bore you in my responses. The only intriguing event coming up for me would be a planned trip to Gondor next month. After that, just harvest progress reports, I apologize in advance,”</em> that had him snicker to himself and glance away to reign back his smile, <em>“I make for a very dull friend.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Oh I doubt you could be dull even if you tried.”</em>
</p><p>A playful glance was exchanged and the other Lords grinned upon sight of their friend and the Queen set to see them off. Only to stun them as they filed into the dragon shaped carrier with their soldiers who had traveled with them you walked straight for the cockpit with a smooth step into the outer suit offered to you that up the steps from the seating section your arms eased through the sleeves. The jacket was snapped shut and beyond their sight you strolled and a guard that moved to a seat along the wall from securing the back door shut said to the confused Lords, <em>“Our Queen is our top pilot in active condition, only other ones who could fly this size of a ship are unable to fly from injuries. No safer hands to see you to the Greater Greenwood’s borders.”</em></p><p>Softly the sound of switches flicked were heard to the verbal confirmations with the tower to the building hum of the engines in Black Speech that faded to chatter with the co-pilot who was building up experience to gain their pilot position in the future who was excited to learn from one so skilled to the roll of the plane. From liftoff to the reach of soaring altitude the Lords spoke amongst each other pausing only for when they caught the echo of clearance confirmation calls upon reach of Gondorian borders and then Rohan after to pass beyond their empty plains and beyond the edges of Fangorn towards Southern Greenwood. Above which already hovering crafts waited and at the verbal confirmation in Silvan they turned to guide the carrier carrying their King to their Queen and Crown Prince who were waiting at the landing strip along with eager crowds holding their breath to the sight of the carrier in descent to land.</p><p>Nice and smooth it touched down and rolled to a stop then folded its wings with the back hatch opening to your command that signaled the Lords to unbuckle and find their feet alongside the eager soldiers now just simple train rides away from the kingdoms that had been housing them since fleeing the war. Right out the back they all filed and after a few hushed statements and thanks for the personal flight home in the back hatch you stood checking the panel in the wall to check the stats of the carrier while they cleared the airstrip. Pictures from the crowds were taken and would be broadcast through the allied kingdoms of progress of where the returning Lords had their feet planted since the resounding victory. Several images, including the one a certain golden haired Lord printed for himself as a bookmark of the brief wave sent his way in the look back he gave to the carrier closed up and back in the air within a few minutes afterwards.</p>
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